Yamamoto making a comeback with HRT in 2010 was ludicris. And it was all down to the money. Now Narain Karthikeyan makes a comeback. He’s awful. Beyond awful. This is possibly the worst decision HRT could have made to go forward. Things like this ruin F1 because it’s beyond a joke now.

Karthikeyan = Failure, can get a seat but Nico Hulkenberg, who got a smashing pole position with Williams and who has star potential can’t.

Completely agree, i think its sad that Hulk has to be the reserve driver (Im happy for DiResta tho) and then Yamamoto and Karthikeyan. i could understand if HRT put Chandhok and Karthikeyan for the Indian GP, that might make sense but if they get race seats on a regular basis then unlucky us. As much as i like Chandhok especially his commentary, he didnt really wow.

Karthikeyan = Failure, can get a seat but Nico Hulkenberg, who got a smashing pole position with Williams and who has star potential can’t.

Hulkenberg was offered a seat at Hispania, possibly even the very seat that Karthikeyan occupies right now. And he turned it down. Rather than take what was offered, he chose to compete for various seats with teams that have tight relationships with their drivers. Sure, he might have been six seconds a lap off the pace in the Hispania, but he’d be in the sport. Tough it out for a year, impress the other teams and maybe there would be a silver lining to be had in 2012. But now, he’s probably going to be on the sidelines for a season, and in 2012, the only drive that might be available is a Hispania, while everyone else who raced in 2011 – like Kobayashi, and Perez and di Resta – could be in line for works drives with McLaren and Mercedes and Red Bull. If Hulkenberg doesn’t race in 2011, it will be his own silly fault.

And one pole position in variable conditions (which always produce unexpected grid results) does not exonerate him from a season of silly mistakes. Like the way he constantly had to cut the chicanes in Belgium, Italy and Singapore; three races in a row. Or the way he tried foolhardy moves that everyone could see were never going to happen, resulting in damage to his car, as he did in Canada. Or the way he needlessly sped in pit lane to repair damage, earning a drive-through and taking himself out of the running, again in Canada.

Seriously, PM, did Hulkenberg steal your girlfriend from you or something? It’s like you have some sort of personal vendetta against him! :P

I personally think Hulk’s made the right decision if he did indeed turn down HRT. Even if he did race for them and was 2 seconds a lap quicker than his teammate, whoever that’d be, that would still be no guarantee that he’d even last the season out. As we keep seeing, money is everything for Hispania. An apprenticeship with Mercedes would seem a much better option for me, given how obvious he would be for that German super-team and considering the possibility that Schumacher may only have a very limited number of races left. Whatever the case, Hulk deserves more than a year on the sidelines or a year at the back of the grid with no long-term improvement prospects.

Also, Narain Karthikeyan? You have got to be joking me… Stick Yamamoto back in the car if they’re really that desperate, but not him, please!

Seriously, PM, did Hulkenberg steal your girlfriend from you or something? It’s like you have some sort of personal vendetta against him!

No, I just think he’s over-rated. All anybody can remember about him is that he got one pole position in variable conditions. Suddenly, he’s the duck’s guts. But his season has been loaded with tiny little errors here and there that show he’s just trying too hard. A grid without Nico Hulkenberg is not the disgrace people are making it out to be.

It’s a disgrace when someone with the level of potential Hulk has loses out to someone like Maldonado who he destroyed when they were together in GP2. Mind you, Maldonado has an insane budget with him, but I don’t see him being anywhere near Hulk’s pace in the same car.

I do not think the Hulk is a phenomenal talent, but I think he did enough to stay in the sport for at least another season. Karthikeyan on the other hand, proved to us that he is not worthy of being in F1.. or in GP2.. or in any formula series.. or in any form of motorsport to be honest.

And I agree about Hulk not really setting the world on fire. Not that he was ever going to start a firestorm driving a Williams, but still, apart from the last person to lap Interlagos on a drying track, I’m not remembering anything.

Karthikeyan though… It is funny. Now everyone will have to remember how to say and pronounce his name again, for all of what will end up being about 4 races. And for some reason he seems to think that just because he has a seat at HRT in January dosen’t mean he’ll have a seat at HRT come Sunday, 30th October. Unless Bernie’s had a word.

With regards Hulkenberg, he did enough in GP2 to more than earn his seat in F1 and it was his Rookie year! The Williams wasn’t exactly a good car and most rookies make errors in their first year, it’s the second one that counts and he definitelly had the pace to earn a second year! T-driver for Merc is probably a sensible decision though bearing in mind that schuey has probably only got 1 or 2 seasons left in him!